


Secrets

by Arcaniel



Series: Xenobia's Wyndrah world [3]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Detectives, M/M, Mpreg, Romance, Thriller
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-14
Updated: 2013-03-14
Packaged: 2017-12-05 07:29:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/720437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arcaniel/pseuds/Arcaniel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A detective story from Xenobia's Wyndrah world: private investigator Sheldon thought nothing could surprise him any more. But when a mysterious blond beauty walks into his office one night, Sheldon's in for a few unexpected events…</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> If you're new to Wyndrah, please go read the introduction at the beginning of "The Velvet Shadow".   
> If you've already read the other stories, you might remember the private investigator that Elain hired to fnd out who had discredited him?   
> This is his story.

Private investigator Sheldon leaned back in his well-worn leather seat and put his feet on the office desk. 

A few minutes ago he had finished his last job, telling his current client, a rich club owner, who was trying to discredit him. It had taken a lot of asking around, bribing certain people and exerting mild threads over other certain people, but in the end Sheldon had managed to procure the damning evidence. In his line of work he had faced more difficult challenges, of course, but not too much. And his payment had been sweetened with a bonus, so all the running around had been worth it. 

But now Sheldon wanted to celebrate his success. He had uncorked a nice bottle of old whiskey that he had saved for special occasions and now sipped carefully at his glass to savor every mouthful. 

After finishing his drink he would close up his office and go home for twelve, maybe more hours of undisturbed sleep. When working on a case, Sheldon simply forgot the basic need to sleep, focussing solely on his work. That might have been one of the reasons why he was the damn best private investigator in Valkyrie Falls. If something or someone needed to be found, he was the guy you asked. 

Of course his fee wasn't exactly cheap, but his track record of solved cases was unrivalled. Therefore, Sheldon was never shy of clients. Most of them, however, didn't have any challenging cases. He usually took them anyway, but when men came to him to find out if their wives cheated on them, Sheldon send them away. He had some standards, after all, and if those guys needed an investigator to find out something glaringly obvious like that, it was absolutely hopeless anyway. 

Sheldon took the last sip of his whiskey and tried not to close his eyes. If he did, he would fall asleep right here, and as comfortable as his seat was, the bed at home was the better choice. Just five more minutes or so, and he would get up…

A sharp knock on the door woke Sheldon from his slight doze. He needed a moment to clear the haziness of his vision, but then he looked at his watch. In exactly five minutes his business hours would be over. Someone wanted to cut it close. 

"Damn, can't this wait until tomorrow?" Sheldon grumbled, getting up from his seat and straightening out his tie. If this was just another miserable sod with a cheating wife…   
He grabbed the handle and yanked the door open, ready to tell his late visitor to come back tomorrow - or never, for that matter.

The person standing on his threshold was clearly no cheating husband and no bored wife needing incriminating evidence back from the apartment of her lover who now blackmailed her. It was a lashran, like Sheldon himself, but there any similarities ended. The private investigator wasn't that tall for a sire, but towered over the petite lifebearer nevertheless. And whereas Sheldon was dark-haired and dark-eyed due to his human grandmother, the stranger practically glowed in the dim light of the hallway. He had almost white-blonde curls, tumbling over his shoulders, and a very fair complexion for a lashran, which told of a parent being human. The eyes, a startling shade of turquoise, were shadowed and red-rimmed. 

As hard-boiled as Sheldon was, the sight of this obviously distressed and very pretty young lifebearer moved him. "What can I do for you?" he asked, taking on the most gentle tone he was capable of.

"Mr. Sheldon? May I speak with you? I know it's late, but it's very important." The stranger's voice was soft and sweet.

Sheldon nodded. "Please come in."

His late visitor practically sneaked in, making no sound at all. He was wearing a dark coat and a hat that was supposed to hide that brilliant hair, but it was not very effective. Sheldon almost smiled when he thought of those old black and white crime movies he had loved as a kid. The investigator always got late visits from a mysterious, blond beauty trying to hide their identity at the beginning of the movie. 

Sheldon closed the door behind the young lifebearer. "Please take a seat, Mr…"

The late visitor sat down on a chair opposite Sheldons's desk. "Just call me C," he said, telling Sheldon at once that the young man's identity was important. But his reputation forbid him any prying. If Sheldon's client wanted to stay anonymous for the time being, he had every right to be. 

"Then Cee it is. What can I do for you?" Sheldon leaned against his office desk and crossed his arms in front of his chest. In that position he dwarfed Cee even more, but Sheldon had learned during the years that a slightly intimidated client was easier to work with.

Those sad, turquoise eyes looked up at him. "I want you to find my son. He's been missing for a week now."

A nasty little voice inside Sheldon's head made a disappointing sound, but he quickly shoved it away. This was business, damn it, and he was just tired.

"Can you tell me more about it?" Sheldon asked. "Where was he last seen? Has the police any clues?"

Cee shook his head. "Fyn was playing with his dog in our garden. It's very large, and there's a high wall with an alarm system attached to it. The police found out that the alarm system had been damaged in the way professional housebreakers work. There were no clues at all. I… I let my son out of sight for maybe half an hour. And his dog is a very big one, trained to protect him. When I went back into the garden to call Fyn inside the house for dinner… he was gone." Cee quickly rubbed his eyes and took a deep breath. "The dog had been shot with a tranquillizer dart."

"Any ransom demands yet?"

"No! I… well, my mate is very wealthy, and we'd be able to pay any sum, but there hasn't been any demand! And the police has all but given up!" Cee's voice broke, and he tried to fight back the tears that were threatening to overflow his eyes. 

Sheldon considered everything he had heard so far. Now that sounded like a challenge. He had solved some kidnapping cases before, so it wasn't new territory. The lack of any ransom demands was alarming, but he was confident that he would find those bastards who had kidnapped the child.

Finally he nodded. "All right, I'll help you. But at first I need a picture of your son and every relevant information about him."

Cee took a little photo out of his pocket and gave it to Sheldon. It showed a miniature version of Cee with shorter hair and some freckles. The little boy was hugging a huge cinnamon-colored retriever dog and smiled broadly, showing a cute tooth gap where a baby tooth was missing. "Fyn is a lifebearer, four years old and about three feet tall. And he has a permanent splint on his right lower leg because of a badly healed fracture. He… fell down the stairs two years ago. Therefore he can't run very fast and is limping." 

The shadow that flew over Cee's face told Sheldon that there was something more about the child's injury than he was telling. But for the moment it was a vital information Sheldon stored away in his mind for later. He put the picture on his desk and turned to Cee again. This time he tried to strike a less intimidating pose.

"I also need your real name, I'm afraid," he said carefully. "If it's not about ransom money, maybe someone has a grudge against you or your mate."

But Cee shook his head vigorously, curls flying around his face. "No. I'm sorry, but no. This is too delicate a matter."

Sheldon's expression darkened. "Excuse me, but you're not making this any easier for me. I have to investigate your family and your background to find any clues about Fyn's whereabouts. Of course you could yet receive a ransom demand, or some plain housebreaker panicked and took the boy with him. But those are only two possibilities. I have to investigate all of them. If you want me to find the kid, you need to trust me." 

For a few moment silence reigned. Cee finally looked up at Sheldon, visibly struggling with himself. "Mr. Sheldon, can you swear to me not to tell anybody under any circumstances how you came to know the things I'm about to tell you?"

"Of course. I'm bound to professional discretion like a physician or a lawyer," Sheldon answered solemnly. 

His visitor took another deep breath. "All right. My mate's name is Aravin Holden."

"Holden? As in Holden Hotels?" 

"Yes. My mate manages the Valkyrie Falls branch."

Sheldon raised an eyebrow. The Holden hotel chain was one of the biggest on this continent, catering to the rich and famous. The investigator had set foot in one of their luxurious establishments one or two times, and the employees has looked at him as if he were a stray dog. Cee had a "wealthy mate" indeed. 

And of course this opened up a whole new bunch of reasons for kidnapping the boy. The Holden family was practically a dynasty, priding themselves in building the first inns on this continent in times when lashran were still fighting with swords and humans had been more or less a legend. It was very old money. 

Since Sheldon had a mind like a rat's nest, keeping absolutely anything in there that could be even remotely useful some day, he could remember what he had read about the Holden family. Aravin had an older brother, Othric, also a sire, who was the current head of the family and the business. Othric was divorced, and his son, a lifebearer named Sylair, appeared on the tabloids here and there, being a mindless party animal who loved to surround himself with actors and music stars. 

Aravin having a mate had never been mentioned in the press, as far as Sheldon recalled. 

"All right," Sheldon say finally. "I'll be as careful as possible and start right away tomorrow morning. I'd like you to contact me if there are any news, for example if the kidnappers demand a ransom. You can reach me with his number or the mail address any time." He took a business card from his desk and gave it to Cee.

The lifebearer put it away in his pocket, then he looked at Sheldon with a shaky, sweet smile. "Thank you so much, Mr. Sheldon."

Sheldon found it impossible to be immune to that smile. "I'll do my best to find your child. But I'm afraid I have to insist on a payment up front. The rest of the fee will be due when I have found Fyn." 

Once again there was a silent struggle behind Cee's eyes. Finally he murmured, "How much?"

"Three thousand," Sheldon answered.

The lifebearer's eyes widened in surprise when he heard the sum, then Cee began to search his pockets frantically. However, he did not pull out a cash card or a cheque like Sheldon had expected, but a handful of crumpled bills. After a moment of feverish counting, his shoulders sagged. "I… I only have a bit under two thousand with me," he admitted softly.

"No problem. You can transfer the rest of the money to my bank account tomorrow." Who on Wyndrah ran around with so much hard cash in their pockets in a part of the city like this, Sheldon wondered.

But Cee shook his head, now looking mortified. "I… I can't. I… don't have a bank account. I'll be getting my monthly allowance in two weeks, then I can pay you the rest. Would… would that be alright?"

No bank account? Monthly allowance? Sheldon was now clearly perplexed, but he tried to hide it. His client was embarrassed enough. "Well, I can make an exception. But why don't you ask your mate to pay me?"

This time, Cee's voice was barely audible. "He doesn't now I'm here. That's why you must be absolutely discreet."

The investigator couldn't believe his ears. He almost blurted out, "What the hell?", but then he managed to get a hold of himself. Ruffling through his hair, he tried to think of a sensible way to answer to that. He finally asked, "So I take it Mr. Holden doesn't put any faith in private investigators?"

"You could say that," Cee whispered. "I'm sorry, Mr. Sheldon. I'm not trying to weasel out of the payment, and I guarantee you your money. But please start to look for my son right away! I can't bear the thought of him being alone and frightened somewhere…"

Sheldon held up a hand. "It's alright. I said yes, and I'm a man of my word. Now all I need is a way to contact you."

Cee got up from the chair, pulling out a piece of paper with a cell phone number on it. "Here. But don't call, just write a short message. No names. If you want to meet with me, simply write the date and time, and I'll come here. If you find Fyn, just write the word 'safe'."

Sheldon took the paper, not bothering to answer. This got stranger and stranger by the minute. "Thanks. No go home and relax," he said with a smile. 

The look he got in return was part relieved, part haunted. "I'll try," Cee replied. "Good night, Mr. Sheldon."

The investigator waited until his mysterious client was gone, then he grabbed an empty folder from the shelf to put the picture and the cell phone number inside. Any need to sleep was gone, and Sheldon felt wide awake. The thrill of the hunt was running through him once again.

He started up his computer and used the search engines to find any further information about the Holden family. Of course he'd have to dig deeper than just the internet, but an overview couldn't hurt. Once again, there was no mentioning of Aravin Holden having a mate or a son.

Sheldon took the picture of little Fyn and gazed at it thoughtfully. "I'll find you, little guy", he said softly, but soon his thoughts wandered back to Cee's beautiful, sad eyes. He really wanted to help the young lifebearer. But it was more than that. His intuition told him that a lot more was going on. His mysterious client hadn't told him even half the truth, of that Sheldon was sure. 

But he would find out what it was that Cee was hiding. After all, Sheldon wasn't just any investigator. He was the best. And he always solved his cases.

 

The next morning, Sheldon called his contact at the Valkyrie Falls police department, Henry Everett. Everett was a detective and a long-term friend to Sheldon; over the years, the private investigator had helped out the police here and there and could always rely on Henry to tell him some of the police's internal matters in return. 

"Henry, I need some information concerning the Holden kidnapping case," Sheldon said after some inquiring after the detective's family. "As I heard, you guys have no leads?"

"No, unfortunately," Henry grumbled. "It's a nasty case. But how on Wyndrah do you know about this? Aravin Holden wanted no press and absolute confidentiality."

Sheldon smiled. "Let's just say my clients also expect that confidentiality from me. I want to find this kid as much as you do, so let's just work together. If I need any police backup, I'll call. I'm sure as hell won't look for a fight when I'm outmatched."

"Alright," Henry gave in. "What do you know already?" After Sheldon told him, the detective continued, "No fingerprints anywhere, and no footprints since the grass was very dry. Disabling the alarm system was a professional job, so we're not looking for any amateurs. The tranquillizer dart the dog was shot with was a self-made one, not one used at zoos and the like, so that's a dead end, too."

"What about Aravin Holden? How did he took all this?" Sheldon asked. 

"I was one of the officers who interviewed him about the circumstances. He was as cool and polite as you please, no emotions at all." Henry paused. "He behaved as if the missing kid wasn't his business at all."

"Really? I thought the little guy is his son? Shouldn't he be worried?" Sheldon furrowed his brows. 

"I have no idea, Sheldon. The ones worried at the Sheldon estate were the staff; a housemaid, a butler, and a cook. And Mr. Holden's… lover, for lack of a better term."

"Hold on," the investigator interrupted. "What do you mean?"

He could almost see how Henry shrugged a bit helplessly. "Well, it he were a woman, I'd call him Holden's mistress. He's the little boy's father, that much is clear from the resemblance between him and the child. Poor thing was totally devastated, begging us to find the kid, while Holden was just standing there. You should have seen the look an his face, almost disgusted. He finally shoved his lover out of the room like one would do with a hysteric child and calmly answered the rest of our questions. I got the sneaking suspicion his primary concern was the breach of security in his estate."

Slowly, a picture of what was really going on was forming in Sheldon's mind, and he didn't like it at all. "Do you have the lover's name?"

"Yes, it's Cerise. We were given no last name, which is a bit strange considering that in this country lashran have been using surnames for hundreds of years. But he didn't have a Nandar accent either."

Cerise… a nice name, albeit a strange one, Sheldon decided. "Anything else you can tell me?"

"No, not really. So far there hasn't been a ransom demand although the Holdens could pay this country's debt on their own," Henry answered.

"Thanks. I'll call you when I have any news."

"Same here. Good luck!"

Sheldon put down his phone and started to type the new information in his computer. Aravin Holden's general indifference to his son's disappearance was unsettling and made two conclusions very easy: either Holden somehow knew that his son was in no danger, or the boy wasn't his son at all. Those theories would both make a lot of sense, but either of them would prove Aravin to be a total bastard. And the way he obviously treated his lover wasn't indicating anything different.

But why had Cerise lied to Sheldon, telling him that Aravin Holden was his mate? Was the young lifebearer ashamed of his position as a kept lover? Or was his emotional commitment this deep? Did Aravin promise to bond him someday?

A lot of questions, but Sheldon filed them away for later. Now he wanted to concentrate on another aspect of the kidnapping case: finding out who had been hired to kidnap Fyn. In Valkyrie Falls, there was only a limited number of notorious burglars who could do a job this good, and Sheldon had a contact to one of them – in fact, he had hired those housebreakers a few times himself to locate incriminating evidence for the police to find later.

But first, Sheldon needed another coffee. He had slept only three hours this night, and considering his initial lack of sleep after the last case, he now felt truly weary. He also needed a shower and fresh clothes since he had fallen asleep in his office last night and was still wearing his rumpled suit from the day before. Sheldon decided to go home and freshen up right after he had called his contact.

A velvety voice answered after the third ring. "Sheldon, darling, I haven't heard from you in ages!" 

"I had a lot to do, Cat. So the police didn't catch you yet?" Sheldon greeted the female burglar.

Cat laughed. "Me? Never! What can I do for you? Any delicious little files you want found?"

"Not this time. I want to know if any of you guys helped with a kidnapping a week ago."

The woman made a disgusted sound. "Honey, we are artists, veritable ghosts. None of us would stoop so low as to harm anyone, let alone kidnap somebody. We have a code of honor, you see."

Sheldon was somehow relieved to hear that. Although he and Cat stood on opposite sides of the law, he knew that she and her burglar friends were no cold-blooded criminals. "Do you have any idea who could do something like that?" he asked. "A security system was disabled, no clues, nothing. It was the work of a pro."

Cat was silent for a minute. "Sheldon, sweetheart, the only ones I can think of are the guys from organised crime. And they are really dangerous."

Organised crime… Sheldon groaned inwardly. So far he had been able to avoid them, but this time it looked as if he had to deal with them after all. "Any more clues you could give me?" he asked.

"No, darling. And I wouldn't stick my neck out too far if I were you. I don't want to read about your untimely demise in the newspapers," Cat replied. "Be careful, Sheldon, honey."

The investigator thanked her and said goodbye. "Damn," he grumbled to himself. "And I was the one to hope for a challenging case. Seems I've got one."

Sheldon hesitated for a moment, then he picked up his cell phone again and started to type a message to Cee, asking him for a meeting this evening.

 

Half an hour later Sheldon was at home, had freshened up and was cooking a proper meal. He couldn't think straight on an empty stomach, and there was a lot to think about. The hint concerning organised crime was the biggest problem. If the reason for kidnapping Fyn wasn't money, then it had to be blackmail. Was Aravin Holden somehow involved with the organised crime? Or had an offer been made he had declined? And how much knew Cerise about all this?

The last question would hopefully be answered in a few hours when Sheldon met with the lifebearer again. In the meantime, he would take an extended break and try to think of something different than his case.

But Sheldon was a person with a one-track mind. He couldn't simply distract himself this easily although he tried his best while eating and trying to sleep a bit afterward. He finally gave up after a few hours of dozing off and waking up again and returned to his office.

To his surprise, Cerise was already waiting for him. He stood in the hallway in front of Sheldon's office door, wearing his dark coat and hat again and looking nervous. He visibly jumped when he heard Sheldon's footsteps, but calmed down when he recognized the investigator.

"You're a bit early," Sheldon greeted him. "I hope you haven't been waiting long?"

"No. You're not busy now?" Cerise asked hopefully.

Sheldon took his key out of his pocket and unlocked his office door. "Please come in. And no, I have time for you. Would you like a coffee?"

"No, thank you." Cerise sat down on the chair and took off his hat, absently rubbing at his temple and mussing his hair in the process. "Do you have any news?"

Sheldon made himself a cup of coffee and then sat down behind his desk. In the cold light of the lamp overhead, Cerise looked very pale and had even deeper shadows under his eyes. Obviously he had been sleeping even less than Sheldon himself.

"There are some hints that the organised crime might be responsible for kidnapping Fyn," the investigator began, watching his client closely for his reaction. 

He was rewarded with a shocked look. "What?"

"It's still not confirmed, but I'd like to know if Aravin might have been threatened by them. Our you, for that matter."

Cerise shook his head. "I don't think so. That is, I know very little of my mate's business. You're not planning on asking him personally, are you?" he asked in alarm.

"I have connections to the police, and they will do the questioning," Sheldon reassured his client. "Is there any other reason for the kidnapping you could think of?"

"I would have told you if I knew anything," Cerise replied, insecurity in his voice. 

Once again Sheldon had the feeling that the pretty lifebearer wasn't telling the whole truth. So he asked his next question. "Concerning Aravin Holden… he isn't Fyn's sire, is he?" 

Whatever control Cerise had over his features, it was slipping now. His eyes, wide and bright like tropical lakes, grew even larger in surprise as he put a hand over his mouth. After a moment, he had recovered from his shock. "Of course he is," he answered far too quickly. "What on Wyndrah gave you that strange idea? Aravin's my mate, and of course Fyn is our son!"

Sheldon sighed. "As I said, I have contacts to the police, and they told me your are not Holden's bondmate – at least not in the official sense. And you're not wearing any bonding bracelets. So please stop this nonsense. It's not my place to judge your private life, but I heard that Holden didn't seem to be concerned in the least about Fyn's disappearance. What kind of parent would stay calm in a situation like this?"

Cerise was silent, just rubbing his fingers over his temple again and looking incredibly miserable. Sheldon felt sorry for him, but he had to know the truth. 

When the young lifebearer looked at the investigator again, Sheldon saw tears in his eyes. 

"You're right," Cerise whispered. "Aravin's not the father. And Forests help me if anyone ever finds out the truth."

Sheldon got up from his office chair and walked around the desk to crouch down next to Cerise. "Can you tell me the whole story from the beginning?" he asked softly. "Nothing of this will ever leave this room, I swear. You can trust me."

 

To be continued...


	2. Chapter 2

Cerise took a deep, shaky breath, wiping away his tears. Now that his fingers didn't cover his temple anymore, Sheldon could see a nasty, dark bruise there. Cerise's lower lip was also split, artfully covered with some gloss so the injury was only visible at very close range.

"It all began ten years ago when I had just turned eighteen," the young lifebearer started with a shaky voice. "My sire had lost all his savings when his little firm went bankrupt due to some competition from abroad. To pay back all the debts my sire had loaned some money from a shady loan shark, and when that guy demanded more and more interest, my sire broke down under all the pressure. He… he died after a heart attack, and the debt was on me now. I had left school to help my sire, but no job I took could ever pay that amount of money back. My mom – she was human, by the way - had died in a car accident when I was a child, and there were no other relatives or friends to turn to."

"What happened then?" Sheldon asked.

"It turned out the loan shark had a business associate who offered me a job. I was so naïve and stupid to believe it and agreed. I even signed a contract. It… it turned out that he owned a brothel. I… was forced to work there for the next five years." 

A shudder ran through Cerise's slender body, and the thought of a bunch of horny guys touching that sweet lifebearer made Sheldon incredibly angry. He knew a few people who worked as prostitutes, but there was a big difference between those who actually liked their job and those who were forced into it. 

After a moment, Cerise continued, his voice almost inaudibly soft. "I saw no chance of ever getting out of this life until Aravin showed up at the brothel. He took a liking to me and finally bought my contract after I told him I was pregnant. He thought he had been the only one with me when I had gone into seasonals some time before, but he wasn't. I can't remember who I had been with in the first night since I was barely conscious, but the second night when Aravin came to visit me, I took a contraceptive." 

Cee blushed a bit while talking about something as deeply personal as this. 

"So I started my life with Aravin, happy to have gotten out of this hell. Fyn was born, and I was overjoyed. Aravin showered me with gifts, and for a while it was like having a real family. But it didn't last long. Aravin had always been very jealous, and when one of his business associates we had over for dinner was actually a bit too friendly, he accused me of cheating on him. I couldn't convince Aravin to let the matter go. He finally ordered a paternity test. After finding out that Fyn wasn't his son, he… well, we had a struggle. When Fyn tried to protect me, he fell down the stairs. It was a terrible accident, but Aravin… he didn't care. He paid for Fyn's treatment, but he has never looked at him again since then. He keeps me out of pride, hoping to get another child from me that's actually his. But he won't. Fyn was born by a complicated C-section, and something inside me was damaged in the process, the doctors told me. But Aravin doesn't know."

Once again tears welled up in his eyes, and Cerise wiped them away. 

"That's everything, Mr. Sheldon," he said. "I swear I don't have the slightest idea who kidnapped Fyn. He's the only one in my life who truly belongs to me and really loves me. I... I miss him so much... I'd do anything to get him back. I know what you must think of me now, but.."

"Please calm down. I believe you, and I don't think any less of you. You had no choice in this," Sheldon said gently. "Thank you for telling me. But why do you call Aravin your bondmate?"

Cerise gave him a shaky, sad smile. "I really didn't want to lie to you. But calling him my mate makes me feel a bit better about my situation. I know he doesn't love me. He just cares for me in the way someone cares about a part in his jewellery collection. But he rescued me from hell."

Sheldon nodded. "And the bruises?"

Instinctively, Cerise pulled a few strands of hair over his bruised temple. "Nothing serious. I'm used to it."

Before Sheldon realized what he was saying, he blurted out, "You should leave that bastard!"

His client looked at him in surprise, and the sweet, sad smile was back on his face. "I have nowhere to go. Aravin gives me some money for shopping, but it's not enough to feed Fyn and me or even rent an apartment in this city. Aravin has also locked away my identity card and won't give it back to me. Nobody decent would employ me like this, and I can't get out of this country."

Sheldon made a mental note to ask Cat to look for Cerise's identity card. Keeping it was an illegal action. He was still incredibly angry at Aravin Holden and all those men who had hurt Cerise. It wasn't like him to get riled up on such a personal level, but there was something about Cerise that touched him deeply. As cool and professional as Sheldon usual was, one look at the lifebearer's face was enough to stir emotions Sheldon hadn't felt for years. And he had never felt this protective about a client before.

"First I'll concentrate on getting Fyn back to you," he finally said. "But maybe I can help you later about your situation."

"You would do that? How?" Cerise sounded surprised.

"I know a lot of people," the investigator said simply. "I'm sure I can arrange something."

"But surely not for free?"

Sheldon smiled. "As I said, we'll see about that later. Now you should get some sleep, Cee."

"Yes, I guess so." The young lifebearer looked up at Sheldon again. "I guess you already found out, but my name is Cerise."

Sheldon nodded. "How do you like to be called?"

"To be honest, I'd like you to continue to call me Cee. My sire and my friends at school called me that." Cerise hesitated. "How about your first name, Mr. Sheldon?"

"I have one, but nobody calls me by it except my father," Sheldon replied with a sour face. "So I'm just Sheldon."

Cerise smiled again and rose from his chair. "Alright. I hope to hear from you soon, Sheldon."

Sheldon watched as Cerise left the office and went down the hallway. Then he crossed the room to look out of the window. Sheldon could see the lifebearer exiting the building and crossing the street to reach the bus station. He was about to turn away when he noticed a car racing down the street. It was a dark, expensive one with tinted windows and no license plate. At first Sheldon thought that it would stop to pick up Cerise, but a fraction of a second later he realised his mistake. The car was aiming to hit Cerise.

"Damn it, no!" The private investigator ran out of his office and down the stairs, trying to reach the street before it was too late. He heard a scream, and when he yanked open the front door, he could see Cerise lying on the pavement on the other side of the street. 

Sheldon felt his heart missing two beats. With a few steps he had reached Cerise and gently pulled him up, trying to assess the severity of his injuries. He noticed a few bruises on the hands and a rip in the fabric of the pants over one knee. The young lifebearer looked at him in confusion.

"Cerise? Are you okay?" Sheldon asked.

"I… I guess so. The driver of that car must have overlooked me…," Cerise murmured, grasping at Sheldon's jacket sleeve with a shaky, bloodied hand. "It's just as few scratches."

But the private investigator wasn't satisfied at least with this answer. "I'm taking you to the hospital," he decided. "You could have suffered internal damage."

"No, please. Aravin would find out that I have been here and not at home how I was supposed to!" Cerise pleaded. 

But Sheldon ignored the protests. He picked the lifebearer up easily, noticing that he was as light as he looked. Then he crossed the street again to get to his car. 

 

"Doctor, how is he?" Sheldon asked impatiently when one of the hospital's physicians exited the examination room.

The doctor, a stern human woman with glasses, looked at him in appraisal. "You were the one who brought the lifebearer in, right? Are you family?"

"No, but I'm private investigator Sheldon and an associate of Detective Everett of the Valkyrie Falls police," Sheldon bristled, pulling out his identity card. "Now please tell me if that lifebearer in there is alright. This is a crime case since he was hit by a car by criminal intent."

The woman shot him a dark look, but finally said, "No, he isn't 'alright', Mr. Sheldon. He didn't suffer any severe injuries from that accident, just a few cuts and scratches. However, he has some older injuries that don't look so good. They were obviously not treated by a medic."

"Other injuries? You mean the bruise at his temple?" the investigator asked.

"Among a few more. And if this is a crime case, you should look into it a bit more. I recognize an abuse victim when I see one." The doctor pushed her glasses a bit higher up her nose.

Sheldon furrowed his brows. "I'll do that. How long does he have to stay here?"

"We'll do an x-ray of his ribs since one of them might be partially fractured," the doctor told him. "He insists on leaving today although I'd like to keep him here overnight."

"I'll look after him," Sheldon promised. "And I'll pay the bill."

 

It was already night when Cerise was finally allowed to leave. He ribs weren't fractured, and the doctors had patched him up with great care. However, his only concern seemed to be how he should explain his absence to Aravin. 

"Just tell him the truth," Sheldon suggested when he helped Cerise back into his car. "You don't have to tell him where you have been, just that you were involved in an accident."

"I was supposed to be at home!" Cerise replied, the beginnings of hysteria in his voice. "Today isn't my shopping day."

With a pang of guilt, Sheldon realized that he had been the one to have gotten the young lifebearer in danger in the first place by wanting to speak to him. But then his common sense was taking over. "Damn, then I'll come with you and explain to him that I had a few questions. I'm Detective Everett's associate, and nobody has to know that you hired me and not the police. I also want to speak with Holden."

"That's not a good idea," the lifebearer murmured, pulling his coat a bit tighter around him. 

Sheldon suspected that he was still under shock. The investigator suddenly wanted to turn the car around and get back to his own apartment. He could get Cee on his big, comfy couch, get him a tea and just hold him for a while…

"Damn it," Sheldon grumbled. Now he was fantasizing about his client!

Cerise looked at him, sighing. "I agree."

 

Sheldon had expected the Holden estate to be big, but he was surprised to see how huge it really was. It was located on the outskirts of Valkyrie Falls on a little hill that provided a fantastic view over the city. A driveway made of white gravel let to the mansion itself; a vast, three-story building with marble columns flanking the entrance.

A butler dressed in livery was waiting at the entrance and opened the car door for Cerise as soon as he recognized him inside Sheldon's car.

"Master Cerise, we have been worried," Sheldon heard the butler say. "Master Aravin is expecting you in the study." 

The investigator exited his car and cleared his throat. "I'd like to speak with Mr. Holden," he said. "I'm private investigator Sheldon, and the police has required my help in finding the child."

"I will ask Master Holden," the butler replied, eyeing Sheldon with a well-practised neutral face. "Thank you for bringing Master Cerise home."

Sheldon followed Cerise and the butler into the mansion. The entrance hall was beautifully decorated with mirrors, brocade draperies, and expensive vases full of greenhouse flowers. The investigator felt like he was stepping into a different world.

"Please wait here," the butler instructed him. Cerise gave Sheldon a last, thankful smile before he disappeared along with the butler down the hallway.

The minutes ticked by, and Sheldon quickly got uncomfortable staring at the luxury around him. This house was too perfect, he decided. He wouldn't want to live here even if he was paid for it. He also couldn't imagine a little kid living among this stylish interior. For all he knew about Holden, Fyn was probably not allowed in most of the mansion's rooms. 

Finally, a figure was approaching from the hallway at the back of the hall. 

Aravin Holden was a tall sire, taller than Sheldon, and he carried himself with an aura of absolute confidence and composure. Everything about him was as immaculate as his house: expensive charcoal suit, polished shoes, strawberry blonde hair short and perfectly groomed. Aravin was handsome, no doubt, but his eyes, a gray so light it was almost white, were cold as a glacier.

If Sheldon hadn't held a grudge against him already, he would have disliked him instantly.

"Mr. Sheldon, right? My butler said you worked with the police? Care to tell me what Cerise was doing with you?" Holden's voice matched this eyes.

"The police had a few more questions concerning Fyn, and I offered to take him back home," Sheldon lied smoothly. 

Aravin crossed his arms in front of his chest. "And what about the bandages?"

"A car hit him. And it was no accident. I was wondering if you might have an idea who could have it in for Cerise," Sheldon answered, watching the other sire's reaction carefully. 

None came except for a slight raising of eyebrows. "Excuse me, Mr. Sheldon, but I have no idea what you are talking about. Cerise is a bit clumsy, and I think you have misinterpreted a simple accident. And I would have liked to be informed first if the police has any more questions."

"Last time I checked, Cerise is an adult who doesn't need your permission to talk to anyone." Sheldon regretted his choice of words immediately, but his anger had gotten the better of him. Damn! This had never happened in all his years as a private investigator.

Holden's mouth quirked a bit, but it wasn't a real smile. "And last time I checked, you don't have any official authority here, Mr. Sheldon. Tell Detective Everett that if the police has any more questions, he has to ask personally and not send his lackey. Now if you will excuse me, I have work to do."

Sheldon stood there, staring at Holden's retreating form and suppressing the urge of punching that arrogant bastard in the face. He hated people who thought they owned everything and everyone just because they had money. 

After a few breaths, the investigator had calmed down enough to think clearly again. He had to stop acting like a green schoolboy, he scolded himself. Nothing was gained by antagonising Holden. 

The butler appeared again, still looking worried although he tried to hide it. "Sir, may I escort you out?" 

Sheldon sensed an ally here. Hadn't Henry said that the staff at the Holden estate had been honestly concerned about Fyn?

"Yes, I'm finished here. Thank you, Mister…"

"I'm Howard," the man replied. He was a human in his forties, carrying himself with the silent dignity of a man proud of his profession. He opened the front door, waiting for Sheldon to exit the building.

The investigator stopped in front of the butler, looking him straight in the eyes. "I know you're concerned about Fyn, Howard, and about Cerise as well. Can I count on you to watch out for Cerise? He almost got himself killed today. Could you see to it that his injuries are looked after regularly?"

Howard's eyes widened a bit, but then he nodded. "I will, Mr. Sheldon."

Sheldon smiled slightly. "Thanks. I know I can count on you."

Then he left the Holden estate.

 

Early the next morning, Sheldon met with Henry Everett at their usual haunt, a nice little café in downtown where they could talk undisturbed. The investigator told the detective everything that he had found out so far, omitting only the detail that Cerise had hired him. Henry knew him far too long to not guess that fact, but Sheldon was bound to his oath and didn't say a word about it.

When he had ended, Henry's already deeply-lined face looked even more crunched-up than usual. "Organised crime, you say? That would also fit the car without a license plate that hit that young lifebearer. The question is, who is it they're really after?"

"My guess is Aravin Holden," Sheldon replied. "What better way to force him to some action than kidnapping his son and threatening his partner?"

"But Holden doesn't seem concerned in the least. You saw him yourself yesterday. He's not the kind of person to be intimidated by such threats."

"And that's the problem." Sheldon stared into his coffee. "Henry, that sire doesn't care one bit if something happens to Cerise or Fyn. The culprits didn't know that or thought his coldness is only an act to protect his family. But I'm sure they know now. The kid's life is in grave danger if the kidnappers think that he's worthless to them."

Henry added a bit more sugar to his coffee and stirred the black liquid with a spoon. "That's still a theory. Sure, it fits, but as long as we don't have any proof and Holden doesn't talk, we have no way of knowing for sure. Or do your contacts reach that far?"

Sheldon shook his head and answered, "No. I've always stayed clear of the organised crime so far. But now it's a different matter."

Henry looked up, seizing up his old friend. "It's become personal for you, right? I've never seen you like this in all the years I've known you."

The investigator was silent for a minute. "Yes," he finally said glumly. "I hate to admit it, but I care about that young lifebearer and his kid. I've always wanted to protect the innocent, but this time…"

"But can we be sure that Cerise is innocent?" Henry interjected. "You said that he had some connection to people who sound like organised crime to me as well."

"Yes, but he told me Aravin bought him out. If those guys wanted Cerise back, I'm sure he would have gone in a moment to save his child."

Henry took a sip of his over-sweetened coffee. "Sheldon, old friend, you trust that lifebearer far too much. Sure, he seems honestly worried about his kid, but I've seen a lot of very good actors in my line of work. At the moment, everyone's still suspicious, even the household staff."

Sheldon didn't reply. Although Henry was right, of course, he trusted his gut more than his brain in that matter. After working over thirty years as a private investigator, Sheldon had developed a finely-tuned inner radar that told him who could be trusted. And the one he didn't trust at all was Aravin Holden. Now he had to proof that the sire was involved in all this.

"What about the rest of the family and Holden's friends and acquaintances? Have you spoken to them yet?" he finally asked Henry, changing the subject.

"It's very difficult to get to them," the detective said with sigh. "None of them wants to be involved in a crime case, and since Holden – and my superior - demands utmost secrecy, I can't talk to everyone I'd like to. Maybe you could arrange something? The next of kin to Aravin are his brother Othric, head of the Holden Hotels, and his son Sylair. I tried to get appointments with them, but Othric's out of the country at the moment, and Sylair's secretaries deny he's available. Sometimes I hate my job."

"I'll try to get to them somehow," Sheldon promised. "If I remember correctly, there's a big dedication party at the newly-opened hotel tonight. Sylair Holden will be there for sure, maybe even his sire."

"And how, pray tell, do you plan to get an invitation?" Henry asked.

Sheldon grinned. "I have some connections, you know. In the meantime, you could try to have a look into Aravin's finances. If he's involved with the organised crime, there's bound to be some fishy transactions."

Henry nodded. "I've already assigned our computer whiz to that task. So far he hasn't found anything suspicious, but I'll tell him to keep looking."

They finished their coffee, and finally the detective had to return to the police department. "Take care, Sheldon," he warned his friend. "I don't want to bust you out if you do something illegal, even if it's for the police."

 

To be continued...


	3. Chapter 3

Sheldon felt decidedly uncomfortable in his tuxedo. The getup reminded him of a penguin, and he tried to keep himself from pulling at that damn necktie. It was far too tight for his liking.

At least he had managed to get here. The new hotel of the Holden empire wasn't as big as the others, but a lot more luxurious. The dedication party was held in the ballroom, a huge hall with gilded mirrors and crystal chandeliers the size of a small car. 

"Relax, Sheldon, and try the champagne," the investigator's companion for the evening suggested. Sarah Gardener was one of this country's finest fashion designers, head of a big clothes firm as well. During the years, Sheldon had helped her out of some very nasty situations, mainly involving fortune-hunters who had made eyes at her to get to her money, and they had stayed in touch ever since. Sarah had been happy to help Sheldon out for a change, even more since she loved to have a sire as handsome as him beside her for this evening.

Sheldon took a champagne flute from one of the little tables and sipped at it. "I try. These fancy parties are not my cup of tea."

Sarah patted his arm soothingly. She was in her fifties already, but still a very beautiful woman with a well-rounded form accentuated by a blue gown and a head of red locks that were streaked with silver now. Other women might have been vain enough to dye those streaks, but Sarah loved natural beauty. She also employed no overly-thin models for her fashion shows, preferring charm and charisma over perfect body sizes. 

"So, you wanted to meet the Holdens, right?" Sarah asked. "Othric's out of the country, and Aravin will only show up for a speech later, but I've spotted Sylair already. I've known him for years and actually designed some clothes for him."

"Really? From what I've gathered, I thought he prefers his clothes a bit shrill." Sheldon took another sip of his champagne.

Sarah laughed and answered, "Now and then, he has his spiritual phase and needs appropriate fashion to meditate. Nobody can party that much and never get tired of it."

Sheldon raised an eyebrow. "Alright, let's go meet him and get it over with."

The designer lead him through the clusters of talking and drinking guests to a livebearer surrounded by a bunch of men and sires. Sheldon blinked when he realized that Sylair Holden was actually wearing a dress. It consisted of a short, black skirt with frills and laces, a white shirt with puff sleeves, matching fishnet stockings and black platform boots that made him almost as tall as Sheldon. To make the image of a female goth teenager complete, Sylair wore a big satin bow in his shockingly pink corkscrew curls. 

Sarah ribbed Sheldon when he caught him staring and giggled. "Come on." Then she addressed the lifebearer in a louder voice, "Sylair, honey! Do you remember me?"

Sylair looked up and smiled. He wore a lot of black makeup around his baby-blue eyes, and his lips were as pink as his hair. His face reminded Sheldon of a doll's – very pretty, but somehow… fake. "Sarah! So good to see you! You look wonderful!" His voice was lilting and overly feminine.

"Thanks, and you look as gorgeous as ever," Sarah replied. Sylair's admirers grudgingly gave way to let her and Sheldon through, and the designer stood on her tiptoes to place a fake kiss next to the lifebearer's cheek. "And his is my dear friend Sheldon," she finally introduced the investigator. "He desperately wanted to meet you."

Sheldon suppressed the urge to make a face at her announcement and smiled as charmingly as possible. 

Sylair lowered his eyelashes, assessing him from underneath. "Is that so? Well, Mr. Sheldon, it's very nice to meet you. As always, Sarah has excellent taste."

"Thank you," Sheldon replied. "I'm… well, I'm a big fan of you." He felt heat creep over his face. This was so embarrassing.

"Aww, how sweet. Come on, Mr. Sheldon, let's find a more quiet place to talk," Sylair said with a purring voice and grabbed his arm, drowning Sheldon in a cloud of sweet perfume, and let him away.

Sheldon had dealt with a lot of advances made at him over the years. Sometimes he took what was offered, but when business was involved, he always politely declined. The problem with Sylair Holden was a bit different: the lifebearer didn't give him any chance to protest at all. Sheldon was let through the crowd, out of the hall and into a dark parlor that wasn't yet opened for the guests.

"That's really a quiet pl…" Sheldon couldn't even finish his sentence when Sylair pushed him against the closed door and kissed him. The lifebearer's determination and strength was surprising. Sheldon could have pushed him away, but that would have involved a bit more force than he wanted to apply.

Finally, Sheldon was allowed some air again. "Please hold on for a minute…"

"Why? You said you're a fan of mine. And you are the sexiest sire I've seen so far on this dull party," Sylair purred, nipping at Sheldon's neck. Despite the craziness of the situation and the fact that Sylair wasn't his type at all with his silly getup, the investigator felt a flash of arousal. Not good.

Sheldon managed to push him away a bit. "I'd like to talk to you first," he insisted. "You see, I'm a writer…"

Sylair let go of him and pouted. "Don't tell me you're a reporter? Dear Sarah would never deceive me like that."

"No, of course not. I'm writing a book." Sheldon finally had a chance to tell his alibi story. "It's a novel about the high society and famous celebrities, and I want to have as many authentic facts in it as possible. You see, the main character is inspired by you, so I'd like to have a bit more personal information."

Vain creature that he was, Sylair was instantly appeased. "Oh, that's sweet! I've never been the hero of a story," he said. "What do you want to know?" He said down on one of the couches and patted the free seat beside him invitingly.

Sheldon sat down, albeit with as much distance as possible, and pulled out a notepad and pen from his jacket. "Can you tell me a bit about your family?"

"It's mostly boring business," the lifebearer answered, brushing the matter off with a disdainful movement of his hand. "Sire owns the company, and he's a workaholic. I don't think I've ever seen him having fun. Ever since he divorced from dad five years ago, it's been even worse."

Sheldon nodded. "Where is your father now?"

Sylair shrugged. "Somewhere in Zarn, I think. I get an email or a call from him from time to time. He left cause he thought that sire was bonded to the enterprise and not to him. I guess he was right."

"And what about your uncle?" asked Sheldon.

"Aravin is okay, but far too stiff as well. It comes with all the responsibility, I guess." Sylair stretched lazily, eyeing the investigator with seductive eyes again. "But let's stop talking about my boring family. I thought you wanted to know some personal information? Some intimate details? Come and get them."

Sheldon forced a smile. "Just a last question. Are there any juicy secrets in the family? Or are you the only interesting Holden?"

Sylair smiled. "You could say so. Sire always tells me to behave a bit more… proper, but why should I? I don't care for the business and see no reason for not enjoying myself. But a secret… hm, maybe I have something for you. But you have to come closer."

The investigator saw through that ruse, but he obeyed. Immediately Sylair latched on him again, practically climbing into his lap. 

Sylair smiled, caressing the investigator's cheek. Then, suddenly, his expression turned cold. "It's no use, Mr. Sheldon. Do you really think I don't know who you are and what you want from me?"

"What?" The investigator was caught off-guard. 

"You are a private investigator, and that whore hired you to find his brat. Don't try to talk yourself out of it. And if my uncle finds out, there won't be much left of Cerise for you to bring to the hospital."

"What on Wyndrah are you talking about?" Any spark of lust that Sheldon might have felt, now turned into cold dread.

"You're an intelligent man, Mr. Sheldon, you know what I mean. I give you some advice: drop this case. Go back to your office and forget about this, or something really bad will happen." Sylair's eyes were as cold as Aravin's, like frozen lakes in deepest winter. "This is out of your league."

Sheldon shoved Sylair away and rose from the couch. "I'm very sorry, Mr. Holden, but I'm afraid that's my business alone. And for your information, I'm working with the police."

"The police? Oh, now I'm scared." The lifebearer smiled coldly. "I know you care about that whore. So if you don't want him to get hurt any more, stay away."

"What do you have to do with all this?" Sheldon asked, face dark with anger. "You should know that Aravin won't pay anything to get the kid back."

"That, my dear, is something you'll never know. And nobody would ever believe you if you told them about our little chat here. Now run back to dear Sarah, drink some champagne and forget about the whole thing. It's a shame, really, since you are a handsome one, but oh well." Sylair inspected his fingernails with a bored look.

Sheldon stood there for a moment, staring down at the lifebearer, then he left the parlor.

Now he knew who was the one involved in this case, maybe even the main culprit. But how on Wyndrah should he prove it? And what was really going on?

Sheldon was determined to find out, despite Sylair's threats. Nobody told him what to do! He would protect Cerise, and he would find little Fyn. And to hell with everyone trying to stop him. They'd soon learn that Sheldon was a force to be reckoned with.

 

After getting back from the party, Sheldon called Cat. The female burglar seemed to be his best bet at the moment since he needed some hard evidence. Cat also knew some very talented hackers who had eluded the police so far.

"I need everything about Aravin and Sylair Holden," Sheldon told her. "Transaction, contacts, anything you can find. There must be a connection to the organised crime."

"That won't be cheap, honey," Cat answered. "But I'll see what I can do. I'll call you."

"Thanks." Sheldon switched off the phone and went to his bedroom. He wanted at least try to sleep a bit.

 

The next morning, Sheldon met with Henry at the police station to exchange information. The detective's bushy eyebrows rose into in his hairline when Sheldon told him about his chat with Sylair Holden, but he listened quietly and didn't comment on it.

"So, what do you think?" the investigator finally asked. "I must admit, I can't find a solid reason so far for Sylair Holden to be involved. He knows his uncle and would have anticipated Aravin's indifference to kidnapping Fyn. And he certainly is in no need for money."

"To me, it sounds as if that lifebearer is insane," Henry said. "Maybe he was on drugs or drunk?"

Sheldon shook his head. "No, he was absolutely sober. He plays the hollow-headed floozy only interested in shopping and partying, but that's a façade. That way nobody would suspect him."

"That would also mean that he has planned something for a long time now." Henry turned to his computer screen to start a search. "Let's see… Sylair first appeared in the tabloids about five years ago. Before that, he was rarely mentioned. It may have something to do with the fact that he went to a private college until then – and that his father had left the family shortly before."

"He told me that," Sheldon replied. "And I don't think that's a coincidence. And there's also the fact that the little kid is four years old."

Henry frowned. "What do you mean?"

"It's just a hunch, but I don't believe in coincidences concerning cases, that's all," the investigator murmured, rubbing his temple. 

He hadn't slept well, mulling over his case half the night. It was this damn personal attachment, he had decided. Without it, he could have solved the whole thing already. But the sympathy he felt for Cerise was muddling his ability to think properly. On other occasions, he had become somehow friends with clients, like with Sarah, but this was different.

Never before had he wanted to help another person so badly.

"Hey, Sheldon, are you alright?" Henry asked. "You look tired."

The investigator nodded. "Yeah. It's just…"

Henry went to the coffeemaker to fetch a steaming mug for his friend. "Here. It's not the best, but it helps. I know how you feel, It's hard to be helpless, but sometimes there are cases that can't be solved because the culprits are too clever or too influential. I fear in this case it's both."

Sheldon took a few sips of hot coffee. It was bitter, but it helped a bit. "Don't tell me the police gives up?"

"No, of course not. But I think you have better chances in finding out what's going on, Sheldon. You can blend in," Henry reminded him. "And you have, shall we say, certain contacts I can't use."

Sheldon smiled. "Yeah, I guess so. Thanks, Henry. You're a good friend."

The detective grinned back. "Always glad to help. And one more thing: you'd better do something about that crush of yours."

The investigator raised an eyebrow. "Pardon me?"

"You're badly smitten, it's no use denying it. I know that brooding look, trust me. I've never seen you like this before, but I guess there's a first time for everyone."

For a second, Sheldon wanted to deny it. But then he realized that Henry was right. That strange feeling he'd harboured for days now had nothing to do with his protectiveness or sympathy. 

No, he was falling in love. With his client. With the lover of one of the most influential and cold-hearted men he'd ever met. 

Not good.

"I'll think about it," Sheldon murmured, gulping down his coffee and burning his tongue in the process.

 

The rest of the day passed uneventful, unfortunately. Cat didn't call back, and Sheldon had spend the afternoon investigating in every possible direction. Usually something would turn up, but this time… nothing. It was frustrating as hell.

Sheldon finally gave up late in the evening, leaving the sleazy bar where he had bought a few drinks for those who generally knew about every gossip and rumour floating around the street, especially in the darker parts of town. 

Just as he had hopped into his car and was about to start the engine, his cell phone buzzed. He took it out of his pocket and saw Cerise's number. That sight carried an almost indecent amount of happiness with it, and the investigator quickly squashed this feeling.

This was business, damnit!

"Yes?" The investigator answered the call.

"Mr. Sheldon? I'm sorry to bother you, but it's urgent," a male voice said, but it was definitely not that of the young lifebearer. "It's Howard, the Holden butler."

"Yes, I remember you. What can I do for you?" If the butler used Cerise's phone, it was not a good sign.

"Master Cerise has disappeared," Howard confirmed Sheldon's worries. "There was a letter in the mail for him this morning, and when he opened it, he went pale. Before I could ask, he threw the letter into the parlor's fireplace, grabbed his jacket and left. When he was not back for lunch, I tried to call him, but then I realized he had left his cell phone. Master Aravin just came back from work and inquired after Master Cerise, and I didn't know what to tell him. So I decided to call you."

"Thanks, Howard. You've done the right thing. Please tell your boss I'll be there immediately." Sheldon didn't wait for a reply and quit the connection to dial Henry's number. 

"Sheldon, I was just about to call you," the detective answered the phone in a voice that told the investigator something good had happened. "We found out that Aravin Holden gave a very large amount of cash to a charity organisation about two weeks ago. We're investigating this organisation because of accusations of embezzling money, and one of the employees there remembered seeing Aravin Holden. He had tried to stay anonymous, however, and no small wonder: it was two million in cash."

"Two million? Sounds like a bribe to me," Sheldon said. "Listen, I'm on my way to the Holden estate since Cerise seems to be missing." He quickly told the detective all the details Howard had given him. 

"Let's meet there. I'm on my way," Henry promised. 

Sheldon rushed through the nightly city to the Holden estate as fast as traffic allowed.

 

Sheldon and Henry arrived almost simultaneously at the estate. The butler had been waiting at the door and looked very relieved to see Sheldon and the police detective. 

Aravin Holden was waiting for them as well. His handsome face betrayed deep annoyance and aggravation as he greeted the two in the hallway with a brisk nod.

"Good evening, Detective Everett. Mr. Sheldon, I have no idea why you're here, but I don't care. I want to know where Cerise is, right now!"

"Sir, you have no rights to make any demands!" Henry shot back. His usually friendly demeanor changed into that of a hardened police officer. "We know that you tried to dispose of two million in cash two weeks ago! Where did that money came from? Here's my theory: the organised crime tried to bribe you into working together with them. You took the money, but then you got cold feet and got rid of it by donating it. The criminals kidnapped Fyn to show you that there's no way out once you're involved with them. When you didn't react to it, they send a note to Cerise to lure him out and took him as well."

Aravin gave him a dark look. "Detective, you're gravely mistaken. It has always been a policy of our business that we never, ever react to blackmailing. No Holden ever submitted to any demands. Sadly, we lost a few of our family members over it who had been kidnapped. But our firm resolve has paid off: there hasn't been any threat or blackmailing attempt in the last few hundred years because the criminals know that we don't comply."

Sheldon couldn't believe his ears. The Holdens had deliberately sacrificed kidnapped family members? They were one of the richest families on the planet, and still the lives of their own people counted less than money? 

Henry seemed to have the same thoughts and asked, "Could you explain that? You're telling me that you would risk your son and your lover getting killed? Has there been a ransom demand that you just chose to ignore?"

"No, there has been none, and even if there had been, I wouldn't have reacted. You should understand that, detective. If we comply once, we give those criminals power, and they do it again and again once they know that we'd always pay to get our people back. That's something we can't let happen." Aravin's eyes were cold and determined.

"Then what about the two million?" Sheldon asked. "Tax evasion? The fiscal authorities could easily get you for that if you don't have a better explanation."

Aravin gave him a look. "I'm not so dumb to break the law over a few millions. Very well, you get your truth. Two weeks ago some businessmen visited me to make an offer. They had the two million with them in a case, and I quickly realized that they offered me the money in exchange for having a save haven for illegal activities inside my hotels. Of course I send them away, but then they deliberately left the money on my doorstep. I had to get rid of it somehow, since I wanted nothing to do with it."

"Very cute story," Henry snorted. "Let me guess, the butler had his free day and there's no one to verify that story?"

"Howard did have his free day. If the truth is not good enough for you, I can't help you," Aravin answered, folding his arms over his chest. "I'm proud of my integrity. I didn't take any bribe money, and I won't allow any unsavoury people to use my hotels as a black market. Now can you find Cerise or not? I'm sure he hasn't been kidnapped. He simply ran away to do something foolish like finding the kid by himself."

"Yes, very foolish of a parent to worry over their child's safety." Henry shook his head in disgust. "Is there anything else you can tell us?"

"No. I just want this unpleasant business to be finished."

Sheldon managed to suppress his urge to break Aravin's nose, but he couldn't keep himself from stepping forward and grabbing the other sire by the collar of his expensive shirt. "You listen to me," the investigator snarled. "I don't care about your policies or your so-called integrity, but if we find out that the kid or Cerise got harmed because you don't frickin' give a damn about anything beside your public image, I swear I find a way to get you for this!"

"Sheldon, let him be", Henry warned. "It's not worth it. We'll solve this case, and if there's anything shady going on, we'll drag it out to daylight for everyone to see."

Sheldon let go of Aravin whose arrogant face had gone a bit pale. "Howard will show you out," was all he managed to say.

As soon as they were outside the building, Henry smiled. "It was very silly to attack him like that, you know. He could sue the living daylights out of you. But if you hadn't, I would have."

Sheldon returned the smile. "Good to hear that. But what now? We know that Aravin got involved with the organised crime, or at least they tried to convince him to get into business with him."

"You believe that story about leaving the money on his doorstep? Please."

Sheldon thought about it for a moment, then his face lit up. "What if they just wanted to discredit him? You heard it, there's nothing more important for the Holdens than their public image, and two million are peanuts to them. What if the criminals want us and the rest of the world to believe that Aravin does business with them? They left him the money knowing that it would show up somewhere again, linking it to Aravin. Money always leaves a trail. There were no witnesses to their visit here. Imagine the tabloids getting wind of this. It wouldn't matter at all what Aravin really did. And if they also get hold of the information that Aravin didn't lift a finger when his lover and son got kidnapped…"

"Damn, you're right." Henry took his phone out of his pocket and dialled a number. Sheldon listened to him talking to his assistant. He assigned her to call all Valkyrie Falls tabloids and ask if they got an any rumors relating to Aravin Holden yet. 

"Okay, let's take this further," Sheldon said as they got to their cars. "If Aravin's reputation is damaged, Othric has to reconsider his brother's position as branch manager in Valkyrie Falls. The one next in line would be the one having the advantage from all this."

"And the next one in line is…" 

Henry and Sheldon looked at each other. "Sylair Holden", they said in unison.

 

To be continued...


	4. Chapter 4

"But we still have no proof," Henry argued. "And even if I can get Sylair Holden to answer some questions, he'll be surrounded by lawyers and deny everything."

"You have to try anyway. That might be our only chance."

Henry nodded, dialling his department again. From the look on his face, Sheldon could tell it didn't look good.

"There's no judge available at this hour to get us a warrant, and tomorrow is Sunday, so we have to wait," the detective finally told Sheldon with a dark look on his face. "But my colleagues called the tabloids. Seems they already have a lot of juicy information concerning Aravin from an anonymous source. When we called, they had confirmation that everything's true. I guess you were right."

Sheldon felt a bit of satisfaction over this, but he didn't voice it. "That doesn't make it any better. Listen, I've got contacts to Judge Riggs. I helped his son a few years back, and Riggs owns me a favour ever since." He pulled out his cell phone to call the judge,  
but the little device started to ring. The display showed Cat's number.

"Yes? Any news?" Sheldon asked her without preamble. 

"Indeed. It's not exactly what you expect, but I'm sure you won't be disappointed." The female burglar let him stew for a moment, then she continued, "One of my colleagues just came back from a… job at the warehouse district. He saw two black-glad goons getting out of a black car without a licence plate. The warehouse district is known for shady operations, but my colleagues saw that the goons had a blond lashran and a little kid with them."

Sheldon felt his blood run cold. "Where exactly?"

Cat gave him the address, and the investigator thanked her hastily.

"I know where they are, " he told Henry, opening the door of his car. "It's southwest side, the warehouse district, at Malrone Exports. You call Judge Riggs. Tell him I said hello."

Henry nodded. "I'll get backup, but it may take some time… you're not planning on going in there alone, are you?"

Sheldon turned around to look at his friend. "I'm still a civilian, and I may have better chances talking to them. If you storm the warehouse with a squad team, Cerise and Fyn will get hurt for sure."

Henry muttered something, knowing that the private investigator was right. Then he pulled his gun from the holster at his side. "This may cost me my job, but I trust you. Take this with you." He handed Sheldon the firearm. "And keep your cell phone on. If things get ugly, call me and we can find you via GPS."

Sheldon nodded and stuffed the gun into the back of his belt where it was hidden beneath his coat. The cold metal felt reassuring. Usually Sheldon didn’t have a weapon with him, but he had a licence for it and practiced regularly. He had a feeling that this time, he would actually use it.

"Thanks. See you later, Henry." The investigator got in his car and started the engine. While he drove away from the Holden estate, he saw in his rearview mirror Henry making some urgent calls. 

 

The warehouse district was a deserted place at night. Only a few prostitutes paraded under the streetlights of the main road leading through the district, and Sheldon knew first-hand that some thieves were up and about as well. Malrone Exports lay as far away from the road as possible, with only a narrow street leading to the compound. At the end, some bars obstructed the way. There was an intercom system with a camera attached to it. 

Sheldon parked his car out of view and hid in the blind angle of the camera to get past the bars, carefully watching out for any more surveillance equipment that could betray his presence. 

The warehouse itself was a complex of five buildings in different heights. The gates big enough to admit truck – and cars – where closed, of course, and Sheldon started to surround the smaller buildings to find a staff entrance. The lights where thankfully scarce, and finally the investigator found a metal door without a camera above it. 

Sheldon took out some lock picks and started to work on the lock. It was a complicated one, but long practice paid off. Finally the door was open, and Sheldon entered the building.

Darkness greeted him. It took a few moments to adjust; the faint glow from the windows high above were enough for a sire's sensitive eyes. The outlines of crates in various sizes loomed before him. There were two little compartments on the left, no doubt leading to an office and a locker room. 

Sheldon crept closer, listening, but everything remained silent. He chose a path between the crates to venture further. As he had hoped, all buildings belonging to Malrone Exports were connected to each other, and he could easily cross over to the adjacent building. It was the garage where he found a sleek black car amidst the trucks – a car without a licence place.

But where on Wyndrah did the gangsters take Cerise and Fyn? They couldn't keep him in the open, so it had to be another compartment… or the cellar. 

Sheldon smiled grimly. If the building had a cellar, it would be the perfect hideout. Now he just had to find the entrance.

That task proofed to be fairly easy, now that the investigator knew what to look for. He found a hatch in the floor next to the office compartment and got it open with the help of a crowbar. Only dimly lit stairs stretched down into the dark before him. Sheldon took out his phone, dialed Henry's number and left it hidden in a corner. He'd have no connection anyway down there.

Slowly as not to make any noise on the metal grate stairs, Sheldon went down into the cellar. It seemed to be mainly for maintenance purposes, and Sheldon had to duck under several pipes and cables. The distant hum of an engine and the red auxiliary light reminded Sheldon a bit of the interior of a submarine. He had visited one years ago, and the claustrophobic feeling of being buried alive was exactly the same as here.

He followed the path between engines, tubes and cables until he reached an intersection. There was no sign whatsoever telling him where to go. As he paused to think, another noise suddenly mixed into the humming. It was the sound of voices, and it came from the left corridor.

Sheldon made sure to have his gun ready before he followed the corridor. Finally his way was blocked by a door, and he leaned toward it to listen.

"How long do we have to wait here?" The voice was gruff, male, and sounded like every dumb criminal Sheldon had ever met.

"Until the boss arrives, of course. Now shut up." The second voice was impatient and sharp. Sheldon guess it belonged to the brains of the pair – if there really were only two of them like Cat's colleague had seen.

"I still don't understand why the boss is dealing with this rich brat who has no say in his sire's business." Dumb Goon again.

"That's why he's the boss and you're the muscle," Brains retorted in a condescending voice. "And if you want to do something useful for a chance, go check on our 'guests'."

That was all Sheldon needed to hear. He still had no idea what kind of weapons the gangsters had, but there were only two of them for sure. He had to act before the "boss" they had mentioned arrived…

"Well well, what have we here?"

Sheldon turned around to find himself face to face with Sylair Holden. The lifebearer looked very different compared to the last time they had met. Sylair was now wearing a black business suit, and his hair was short and caramel-brown; the pink curls from last time had obviously been a wig. Without the girlish makeup his face was even prettier, but had a decidedly sharp edge to it. 

Behind him stood a portly human man in a silk suit, wearing lots of tasteless golden rings on his fingers. The "boss", no doubt. And to make matters worse, the man had another two gangsters with him.

"Mr. Sheldon, aren't you happy to see me? You're awfully quiet." Sylair's flirty tone was mocking. "Mr. Malrone, would you be so kind to invite our guest in? I'm sure he'll be enjoying our hospitality."

Mr. Malrone broke into an oily grin. "Of course."

Sheldon called himself ten kinds of fool as he was pushed into the room behind the door. The two men he had heard talking looked exactly like he imagined: one big and beefy, the other slim and rat-faced. 

Mr. Malrone gruffly told them to tie Sheldon up. Completely outmatched, the investigator had to hold still for the moment. They took his gun and tied his hands behind his back. Sheldon tensed up his wrists, making them wider than they actually were.

"What are you going to do to Cerise and Fyn?" Sheldon fixed his gaze on Sylair.

The lifebearer shrugged. "Wouldn't you like to know."

"Seems I'm a dead man anyway," the investigator dared to guess. "Or are you planning on letting me go?"

"On second thought, I think you're right," Sylair remarked, sitting down on one of the chairs in the room. "Well, Mr. Investigator, before we kill you, you'll get to hear the grand plan. And don't you think knowing it will change anything."

"Sylair dear, you sound like a villain in one of those old spy movies!" Mr. Malrone leered at him. "That's what I like about you."

Sheldon saw disgust cross the lifebearer's face for a second, but then Sylair was back in his role as gloating victor.

"As you've already guessed, " he continued, "I'm behind the kidnapping. I asked Mr. Malrone, and he sent his guys to grab the kid from my uncle's house. Cerise got an anonymous message from me this morning, giving him the alleged location of his brat. He fell for it, of course, and we could catch him as well. We had him under constant surveillance for weeks now. That's how I knew he visited you."

"And everything to discredit your uncle?" Sheldon asked. "So he'll be overlooked when your sire steps down from his position as director of Holden Hotels?"

Sylair smiled. "You found that out on your own, didn't you?"

"The police knows as well," the investigator reminded him. "Even if you kill me, they'll get you for this."

Sylair inspected his fingernails with a bored look. "They have no proof. There are no unexplained transactions in my accounts, nothing that links me to businessmen like Mr. Malrone. That's the beauty of the deal. No money, just an exchange of favors. You'll have an accident, Mr. Sheldon, and Cerise and his brat will disappear as well. Dear uncle Aravin gets his scandal about bribe money and a kept whore as his lover that he sacrificed to the honor of the family – I called the tabloids this morning. Sire is planning to retire in the next few years, and I'll slowly reform from party boy to the perfect son in that time, proving to him that I can take over Holden Hotels. Then I can give my dear business partners a save place to meet."

Some deeply hidden emotion flashed in Sylair's eyes, and Sheldon guessed that there was a lot more to the story than he told. 

"But why going to such lengths to discredit your uncle? There are easier ways for sure. It's a personal grudge against Cerise, isn't it?" Sheldon pressed.

Mr. Malrone laughed. "He's a forward one, Sylair dear. I could use a man like him in my business."

"He's too dangerous, " the lifebearer answered him. "You'll have to content with getting the whore back."

Another piece of the puzzle fell into place in Sheldon's mind. "You're the owner of the brothel Cerise worked at, right, Mr. Malrone? And that's how you knew that Aravin Holden isn't Fyn's sire. When you told Sylair, he knew his uncle could never be blackmailed with Fyn's kidnapping. So you chose to discredit him instead."

"Not bad, not bad at all, Mr. Sheldon." Sylair's cold eyes rested on him. "It's really a shame to get rid of you. But I'm not completely heartless, you know. You can spend your last hour among the living with your beloved Cerise."

 

The gangsters opened a steel door at the back of the room and pushed Sheldon through before they closed it behind him again. There was no furniture, and in the cold light of a naked light bulb he recognized Cerise huddled in a corner. In his arms he held little Fyn. The child seemed to be asleep.

"Sheldon?" Cerise's eyes grew wide when he saw the investigator. "Forests, what are you doing here?"

Sheldon grimaced. "I came to rescue you, and I botched it. Detective Everett knows where I went, however, and he'll get us out of here."

In truth, the investigator was sure that Henry would be too late, but he wasn't about to tell that to Cerise. "Are you and the kid alright?" he asked instead.

The lifebearer nodded. "Scared, but unharmed. How did you find out where we are?"

The investigator sat down beside Cerise and told him about the events that let him to this place. "You should have called me or the police when you got the message this morning," he said finally.

Cerise bit his lip. " I know, but I was so scared for Fyn. The note said they'd kill him on the spot if I breathed a word to anyone."

"They won't kill you or the kid, " Sheldon answered darkly. "From what I've gathered, Malrone wants you back for his brothel in exchange for helping Sylair."

Cerise went even paler than he already was. "I… I don't understand it… Sylair was always very civil to Fyn and me, and from what Fyn told me, "Cousin Sylair" came to take care of him during the last weeks."

Sheldon's eyebrows wandered into his hairline. "He did? Damn, I think I'm starting to understand what's really going on here."

Before Cerise could ask about it, Fyn stirred and opened his eyes. "Are we home?" he asked sleepily.

"Not yet, sweetheart." Cerise tightened his arms around his son and gave Fyn a kiss on top of his tousled head. 

The child looked around and fixed his gaze on Sheldon. His eyes were pastel green, and some freckles were scattered across his nose, but otherwise he really was a miniature version of Cerise.

"Are you a bad man, too?" Fyn asked Sheldon timidly.

The investigator shook his head and managed to smile. "No, Fyn, I'm not a bad man. I'm a friend of your father. My name is Sheldon."

"Can you get us home?" Fyn asked him, his tooth gap causing a cute little lisp when he said the word 'us'. "I don't like it here."

"I'll try," Sheldon said. "Your father said that your cousin Sylair took care of you?"

The little lifebearer nodded. "He was very nice to me and brought me toys and chocolate. But I was all alone in a strange room. And I missed my daddy."

"Did Sylair tell you why you had to stay in that room?"

"No. He just said that we are a family and have to look out for each other. He also said that daddy and sire don't love me at all. But I said he was mean and I don't believe it. Sire doesn't like me, but daddy loves me very much."

"Of course, my angel," Cerise whispered, stroking his child's blond curls. Tears glistened in his eyes, but he quickly wiped them away so Fyn wouldn't see them. 

Thoughts whirled around in Sheldon's mind, as the last piece of the puzzle fell into place.  
His suspicions had been confirmed by Fyn's words. But he had no time left to tell Cerise anything because the door was opened once again.

"If you get the chance, grab Fyn and run," the investigator whispered to the lifebearer while a desperate plan to escape was forming in his mind. Seeing Cerise and Fyn alive and well lend him new hope and resolve, and the ties around his wrists started to feel slippery enough that he might escape them.

The two goons from before grabbed him and dragged him back into the room. To his relief, Mr. Malrone and his guards were gone as well as Sylair. Two men he could handle – somehow.

He held still as they pushed him down on a chair. "I don't understand why the boss ordered us to kill him here," Dumb Goon grumbled. "He'll blood all over the place. And I ain't no cleaning lady."

"He's easier to move when dead, idiot," Brains retorted. "Now take his gun and put him down."

Dumb Goon took Henry's gun from the table. It was now or never. Sheldon pulled at his wrists with all his might, and his slippery hands escaped the rope. In the blink of an eye he jumped up from the chair, grabbed the surprised gangster by the wrist and used a special police grip Henry had showed him to disarm the man. The other gangster pulled out his gun and fired, but Sheldon had anticipated this and turned Dumb Goon in the line of fire. With a surprised grunt, the big man fell to the ground. 

Before the other gangster could overcome his astonishment, Sheldon had shot him right in the heart. 

The investigator took a few deep breaths. Never before had he killed a person, and although it had been pure self-defence against two criminals, Sheldon felt a bit shaky. Reason took over, however, and he searched the smarter gangster's pockets for the keys. Then he unlocked the cell door. 

"Cee, it's alright. Cover Fyn's eyes and follow me."

Cerise nodded, got on his feet with Fyn in his arms and pulled the child's face close to his chest so that Fyn wouldn't see the corpses. Cerise himself was deadly pale, but managed to handle the sight of two shot men without a sound. 

Sheldon opened the door to the corridor and listened. In the distance, he could hear gunfire and shouting.

"Detective Everett had sent reinforcements," he told Cerise with a grim smile. "Come on."

Still on alert, they followed the corridor until they reached the stairs leading up to the hatch. Sheldon opened it carefully and took a peek. The warehouse seemed to be empty, and the shouting echoed from another part of the complex. Sheldon had planned to retrace his steps back to the little backdoor, but halfway through the warehouse the distinct sound of footsteps stopped him.

Sheldon whirled around, but was a fraction too late. A shot rang through the hall, and he felt a searing pain in his shoulder. The investigator let go of his weapon, unable to hold it any longer.

Sylair Holden emerged from between two large crates, a gun in his hand. "Not so fast, Mr. Sheldon."

"Give it up, Sylair," Sheldon gasped, clutching his injured arm. "The police has surrounded the building. You can't escape."

The lifebearer smiled grimly. "Maybe, but you three won't leave either." Then he pointed his firearm at Cerise. "Put the kid down!"

Cerise's arms instinctively tightened around his child, fear and resolve battling behind his aqua eyes.

"I won't let you harm my son!" he shouted.

Sylair's face showed dangerous impatience. "Then put him down!"

Slowly, very slowly, Cerise complied. Fyn stared at his cousin with wide eyes. "Don't hurt daddy and Sheldon, please," he whispered. "You said that we are a family. You said we have to watch out for each other."

Through the red haze of pain, Sheldon saw Sylair hesitate. Somehow the child's words seemed to move the lifebearer. He lowered his gun a fraction.

Sheldon gathered all his remaining strength and attacked. Sylair seemed all but forgotten about him, and Sheldon managed to throw the lifebearer off his feet. Using his bigger body, Sheldon tried to pin Sylair to the ground. But Sylair was faster than expected and managed to get a hand free. He hit Sheldon on the injured shoulder, and the investigator's vision went black for a moment. Using his advantage, Sylair got back on his feet and pointed his gun at Sheldon with a triumphant smile.

Bit the deadly shot never came. Sheldon heard a dull thumping noise, and then Sylair sagged down like a wet rag. Behind him stood Cerise, holding Henry's gun butt first like a hammer. The fear was completely gone from his face, and his eyes glowed with resolve and anger. "You won't ever hurt somebody dear to me again, you bastard," he whispered, looking down on the unconscious Sylair like an avenging angel. 

It was the last thing Sheldon saw before he blacked out.

 

To be continued...


	5. Chapter 5

The sterile white light of a hospital greeted Sheldon when he woke up. A friendly-looking nurse and a worried Henry stood beside his bed.

"Welcome back," the detective greeted him. "You gave me quite a scare. But the bullet went right through your shoulder and missed any vital sports. You'll be as good as new in a few weeks."

Sheldon didn't feel any pain. In fact, he felt pretty much nothing in his limbs. "Cerise and Fyn?" he asked hoarsely.

"They're both alright and in the next room. Concerning the bad guys, we arrested Malrone, all of his men who were still alive and of course Sylair Holden. They'll all face charges for kidnapping and attempted murder."

Sheldon nodded, glad to hear all this. 

Henry smiled. "You can relax for now. Thanks to your actions everything went well. You're really one of the bravest and dumbest men I've every met."

"All part of the job," Sheldon murmured before he went back to sleep.

 

The next morning, the haziness of the painkillers had worn off, and Sheldon was able to think clearly again. His first visitor after breakfast was Henry, of course, and he wanted to hear the whole story, taping everything with his voice recorder for the police files. When Sheldon was finished, his friend switched off the little device and leaned back into his chair.

"My chief chewed me out this morning for letting you go in there alone," Henry said. "But since we caught Malrone, I guess I'm off the hook. He seems to be one of the big players in organised crime, and catching a crime boss red-handed like this is every police officer's dream. But I'm still blaming myself for sending you in there on your own."

"Haven't you listened? Even with the two of us we would have been outmatched, and Malrone might have killed Cerise and Fyn as well just to be save there'd be no witnesses to killing a cop," Sheldon retorted. "I had the advantage of buying time by getting Sylair to talk."

"Well, he's called his lawyers, of course, and keeps quiet, but there's enough evidence to lock him up for a very long time. The press got wind of it, too, and together with Aravin's scandal story they already had, the Holden family will get a lot of unwanted attention. I guess old Othric is going to stay in charge of the enterprise for a very long time to come." Henry paused. "But there's something else, right?"

"Yes, it's the thing about family Fyn said back there. I'm sure the little guy saved us all by unsettling Sylair like this. "

"What do you mean?" Henry asked curiously. "It stays off the record, if you want to."

Sheldon sat up a bit straighter in bed, ignoring the dull throbbing in his shoulder. "There were some things I just couldn't understand. Why would Sylair care for the kid at all? He's ruthless enough to think nothing of murder; he almost got me killed. And all that talk about family from him betrays a deep love and equal hate for his kin. Then there are the time correlations of Sylair's father leaving Othric, Sylair turning from quiet model student to party boy and Fyn being conceived."

"That again. Do you still think those things are linked?" Henry's eyebrows rose sceptically. 

Sheldon nodded. "Yes. There is only one possibility that makes sense: Fyn IS a Holden after all."

"What?" The detective looked at his friend with utter disbelief.

"You have to promise me not to breathe a word to anyone. I'm betraying my client's confidentiality here," Sheldon warned. When Henry nodded, he continued, "Here's my theory: Five years Aravin was a regular at Malrone's brothel where he met Cerise. Then Othric was left my his mate, and his little brother tried to cheer him up by referring him to Malrone's establishment. Cerise told me he doesn't know who Fyn's sire is, but I bet you money it is Othric. Malrone knew of this, of course, and when he and Sylair made a deal, he told him about it."

Henry nodded slowly. "So Fyn is Sylair's half-brother? That's why that lunatic lifebearer couldn't harm the kid?"

Sheldon grinned. "It gets even better. My guess is that Sylair's father left Othric because Othric found out that his mate had cheated on him. Sylair isn't Othric's child and therefore no true Holden. When he learned the truth, all his dreams of taking over the business one day were shattered, and he tried to distract himself with parties and society glamour. Why looking out for his reputation if he wasn't really part of the family? But as time went by, he started to make plans to claim his place as the perfect heir. When he met Malrone, the gangster told him about Fyn's true sire." Sheldon paused. "Sylair would have done anything to be in the kid's place, to be a true member of this crazy family where appearances matter more than the lives of their members. And now, ironically, all Sylair managed to do is ruining their reputation for good. Othric has no other choice than to re-bond and get himself another heir. Or maybe he'll forgive Aravin after some decades for causing such an uproar."

Henry was quiet for a few minutes, thinking about what he had just heard. "Nice theory, Sheldon. Everything makes sense, I admit that. But it doesn't change anything."

"No, it doesn't," the investigator agreed. "Sylair, Othric and Malrone would never come out with the truth."

"Will you tell Cerise?" Henry asked.

"I don't know. As you said, it's just a theory. But I think it's best for Fyn if he never knows about all this. I hope he'll never be involved in all these family's secrets again."

Henry nodded. "I hope you're right."

 

After the detective was gone, Sheldon got a visit from Cerise and Fyn. Both had stayed the night in the hospital for medical observation, but now they looked well. Even Cerise's face had gained a healthy color again, and Fyn greeted Sheldon with a huge smile. Cerise carried him again, but the little lifebearer insisted on being set down. 

He crossed the room toward Sheldon's bed with slow, uneven steps due to his injured leg. Sheldon felt sorry for the kid, but Fyn's smile told him of a very strong little person who would not be hindered by a physical handicap.

"Hello! Do you still hurt?" Fyn asked.

"Not really," the investigator answered. "Are you and your dad okay?"

Fyn nodded eagerly.

"We are." Cerise joined his son next to Sheldon's bed. "Thanks to you."

"You are a real hero," Fyn whispered, awe in his pastel green eyes. " When I grow up, I want to be like you."

"Your dad's a hero, too," Sheldon reminded the child, but his gaze wandered to Cerise's face. "He rescued me."

The lifebearer smiled a bit sadly. "People have been walking over me for too long. I guess this was the last straw."

Sheldon nodded. "What are you going to do now?" It was clear he didn't mean tomorrow or next week.

Cerise shrugged. "I'm not sure yet. Aravin showed up this morning, but I didn't want to see him. Fyn and I won't return to the Holden estate. I called Howard to pack a few things and bring Fyn's dog." He hesitated. "You were right. I should have done so years ago."

"Good decision." Sheldon hesitated. "If you like, you could… well, you two could stay with me for a while – at least until you have found something else. I have a big apartment with a spare room."

Cerise's eyes widened in surprise. " I couldn't possibly… I mean, I already owe you so much, not to mention your fee."

Sheldon smiled and finally took the courage to say what he had wanted to ask Cerise for some time now. "You can repay me by going out to dinner with me. That is, if you'd like to."

Cerise blinked.

"Say yes, daddy!" Fyn urgently pulled at his father's sleeve. "Let's live with him, please? I want to stay with him forever!"

A charming blush spread over Cerise's cheeks at his son's frank words. "Hush! You can't decide something like this so easily!"

Sheldon raised his uninjured arm and gently touched Cerise's hand. "Maybe it's worth a try?" he asked quietly, feeling his heart beating faster.

The lifebearer hesitated for a moment, then he took Sheldon's hand and laced his own fingers with his. His smile was the most beautiful thing Sheldon had ever seen.

"But if we are to live with you, I guess I need to know your first name."

Sheldon returned the smile a bit crookedly. "It's Anastasius. But I'll take everything back if you two ever call me that."

Fyn giggled.

 

A few days later Sheldon was back at home. Cerise and Fyn had already moved into his apartment, and Fyn proudly showed Sheldon how he had helped decorating the spare bedroom. His dog, Minnie, followed him around, tail wagging happily.

At first, Sheldon had been a bit sceptical about the big dog, but Cerise hat ensured him that Fyn took care of Minnie all by himself already. The dog was very well trained, and the only problem was that Sheldon's apartment didn't have a garden or a yard for her to run around. But the investigator solved this by saying that he had always wanted a reliable companion for his daily runs around the block.

"So, what about our dinner date, Cee?" Sheldon asked while they watched the child and the dog bustling about. "I guess I'll be fit enough tomorrow. We just need someone to look after Fyn."

"I already asked your nice neighbour Mrs. Haley to baby sit him. It shouldn't be a problem."

Sheldon turned to look at the lifebearer with solemn eyes. "You know I was joking when I said I'd accept going to dinner with you as payment? I don't want you to do this out of obligation."

Cerise shook his head, blond curls flying. "No, I really want to go out with you, Sheldon. You're the first really decent sire I've met, but it's not just that. I know you respect me as a person and you don't see me just as a… toy."

Sheldon took Cerise's hand. "I'm not sure about the 'decent' part, but I promise I'll never hurt you or the kid in any way. And I'll help you getting back on your feet again."

The lifebearer smiled. "Thank you. You know, I've thought about getting a job at the library since the only stuff I've ever done the last few years is reading. It might be enough money to go to evening school and finish my education. I've always wanted to be a primary school teacher."

Sheldon could picture Cerise very well amongst a bunch of kids; the lifebearer's patient, loving, and yet firm way of raising Fyn was enough proof that he'd be a good teacher.

"But for that, you'll need your identity card," Sheldon reminded him gently. "Howard didn't bring it, did he?"

"No, unfortunately. I guess I'll have to face Aravin again because of that."

Sheldon took out his phone. "Maybe I can do something about that."

 

Mrs. Haley came around about 7 p. m. the next evening, ready to watch out for Fyn. Her old, kind face crinkled with a smile when she greeted Sheldon. 

"You have such a sweet boyfriend," she told him. "And his kid is adorable! I've always hoped you'll get around to find someone nice someday, so you don't always sit by yourself in that huge apartment!"

"Thanks, Mrs Haley." Sheldon let the old lady in, and Fyn and his dog rushed to greet her. Obviously the little boy had already made friends with her, calling her "Granny Haley".

"Shall we go?" Cerise exited the bathroom, and the investigator felt his heart speed up a little. The lifebearer looked absolutely stunning in tight, cream-colored trousers and a satiny turquoise shirt that brought out the sparkle in his eyes even more. He didn't wear any makeup or jewellery, but he wasn't in need of it anyway. The hair, glowing like spun gold, and his smile, sweet and happy, were sufficient adornments.

Sheldon finally remembered his ability to speak. "You look wonderful."

"Thanks. You, too, Sheldon," Cerise replied, and the investigator pulled himself up even straighter in his navy suit with a new tie. 

They said goodbye to Fyn and Mrs Haley, and just as they were about to leave the building, an elegant car stopped in front of the entrance. Cerise recognized it immediately, his face going pale.

"It's Aravin!" he whispered.

Sheldon's first impulse was to go out there, grab Aravin Holden and punch him, but on second thought he decided it was wiser to wait what would happen.

Aravin exited the car, wearing expensive sunglasses to obscure his face. He entered the small lobby, and when he saw neither cameras nor a janitor, he went straight to Cerise and Sheldon.

With a disgusted expression the sire pulled out a small card and threw it at Cerise's feet. It was the lifebearer's identity card.

"You got some nerve having the police search my office for this!" Aravin snarled at Sheldon, his usual haughty confidence washed away in a wave of anger and humiliation. "Haven't you and that whore done enough to ruin my family?"

"Tell that to your nephew," Sheldon replied calmly, although with a dangerous glint in his eye. "Now do leave before I decide to risk a law suit for severe physical assault after all."

"You wouldn't dare," Aravin replied caustically. "Be grateful I'm not making a fuss about you taking him from me." He finally looked at Cerise with utter disgust. "But nobody self-respecting would want second-handed and damaged goods anyway."

Cerise moved so fast that neither Sheldon nor Aravin could react. With a swift movement, he had kicked Aravin between the legs. The sire crumpled, groaning in agony.

"No, you're right, Aravin Holden. Nobody wants damaged goods," Cerise said with a soft, but firm voice. "I think over three years of personal services are enough to have paid you back in full, but I still owed you this little gesture for all the times you beat me up! No go and pray to the forests you'll never see either me or Fyn ever again!"

Aravin Holden was in no shape to argue the point.

 

"That was brilliant," Sheldon told Cerise when they were back in the apartment. Aravin's appearance had spoiled the fun of going out, so they had decided to spend the evening at home. Fyn was already asleep, and Sheldon set out to make them the nice dinner they had skipped. He was actually a good cook when he put his mind in it, so half an hour later he and Cerise enjoyed a tasty risotto and a bottle of wine.

"I'm still a bit shaky," Cerise admitted, sipping at the wine. "And I hope that Aravin won't sue me for this. But when he stood there, saying all those nasty things, I just... exploded."

"He won't sue you," Sheldon ensured him with a smile. "Then he'd have to actually tell somebody that he was completely overwhelmed and nearly castrated by a tiny, delicate lifebearer maybe half his weight. No, he won't add that insult to the injury."

"I hope you're right. And thanks for helping me getting my ID card back. I guess I can start to plan my new life earlier than I had hoped." 

"What about Fyn, by the way? I trust Mrs. Haley to take good care of him, but shouldn't he go to kindergarten?" Sheldon asked. "I think there's one only a few blocks away."

Cerise nodded. "I want to enroll him as soon as possible. I admit I was too worried about him to send him to kindergarten because of our situation and his health, but Fyn needs to interact with other children. Luckily he's neither shy nor afraid of strangers, so I guess he'd make friends easily."

"He's a sweet little guy," Sheldon agreed. "I was never fond of little kids cause they are loud and annoying, but Fyn is great to have around."

"I'm glad you see it this way. Then I won't have too bad a conscience that we impose on you like this." Cerise smiled shyly. "But as soon as I have a job, we can move out and..."

"Who says I want you to move out?" the investigator interrupted, his gaze intense. "I know you had your share of being dependent on another person's mercy, but this is different. You're doing ME a favor by staying with me. And... well, damn, I'm no good at this," Sheldon grumbled. Damn, was he blushing? "I'm with Fyn here and want you two to stay forever."

Cerise smiled, reaching over the table to touch the investigator's hand. "That's very sweet of you. It's just… I guess I need some time before I can decide that. Is that okay for you?"

Sheldon nodded. And if he wasn't completely mistaken, the tender glow in Cerise's eyes mirrored his own feelings. Tender and fragile like a butterfly's wings this emotion was, but neither Sheldon nor Cerise could deny it anymore. But after everything the lifebearer had been through, it might take weeks or months before he would be even ready for a kiss.   
Sheldon didn't mind. They had all the time in the world.

This case, as dangerous and confusing as it had been, had definitely been worth taking on because Sheldon hadn't just been able to rescue someone else. This time, someone had rescued him.

***

"Dear recording device,

I'm still learning to write, so you have to be my diary until then. I got you from Sheldon; he has lots of recording devices for his cases and just bought a new one, so I could have you as my diary. I want to be a detective, too, when I grow up. Or maybe I want to be a teacher like Daddy. He just finished evening school and got his teacher's licence. Sadly, he's not teaching at my primary school, but I have a great teacher, too. Yesterday, Miss Jordan said my presentation about dogs was the best she ever heard. I could even being Minnie with me to school for demonstration, and everyone wanted to pet her. I have lots of friends at school. I knew some of them already from kindergarten, but I got a lot more when I started primary school last autumn. I love going to school, it's so much fun to learn about everything.

The only class I'm bad at is sports. I can do a little gymnastics, but no ball sports with fast running and jumping. Every week I go to a nice physical therapist who helps me with my leg, and I'm not limping as strongly as I did when I was younger. But I'm not complaining because I'm lucky. There's a girl at my school who's sitting in a wheelchair and can't walk at all. 

Oh, I just heard the front door. I guess Sheldon came home from work. He and Daddy are going out this evening, and Granny Haley will come over to look after me. I'm already a big boy and I'm not afraid of being alone, but I love her bedtime stories.

Teehee, now I just heard Daddy greet Sheldon, and I bet they're kissing again. They're so sweet together! It took some time after we came to live with Sheldon, but now they're a real couple. They're even going to bond coming spring, I can't wait for it! Daddy promised me I could carry the bonding bracelets. I bet it will be a ceremony out of a fairy tale.

I guess Daddy will call me for dinner soon, so I'll shut you off for today. I'll continue when I have more to tell.

With love, Fyn, seven years old."

 

End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, I hope you liked it!   
> Fyn's story will be continued in "The Dare of Truth"


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